Vacuum-feed carbureter



P. P. GILLES.

VACUUM FEED CARBURETER. APPLICATION FILED 0CT.14,1918.

1,350, 15 1 Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

IIIIIIIII WITNESS: I VENTOR. mafia, yiflf/j BY v A TTORNEYS UNITEDSTATES 'PIERRE P. GILLES, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

VACUUM-FEED GARBURETER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug; 1'7, 1920,

Application filed October 14, 1918. Serial No. 258,091.

To all whom it may concern .1 V

Be it known that I, PIERRE P: GILLEs, born in Switzerland of Germanparentage, now believing myself tobe a citizen of the SwissConfederation, and having formally declared my intention of becoming acitizen of the United States of America in conformance with the UnitedStates immigration laws, and now residing at Springfield, in the countyof Hampden and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Feed Carbureters,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to that class of devices, by means ofwhich fuel may be drawn by suction from a low level supply tank into acarbureter. More. particularly, the invention is concernedwith theprovision of improvements, which are especially applicable to a vacuumfeed carbureter, although the improvements are capable of generalapplication, if desired. By a vacuum feed carbureter is meant a unitarystructure resulting from a consolidation of a carbureter with the vacuumfeed fuel supply device. One type of vacuum feed carbureter is disclosedin my prior U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,240,842 granted September 25,1917.

In the usual vacuum feed system, the outlet of the fuel supply orsuction chamber is provided with an outwardly opening check valve and isthen connected to a carbureter of any standard type. All standardcarbureters are provided with afloat in the carbureter fuel chamber andthe inflow of fuel to the latter is controlled by a needle valve,

which is operated by rise and fall of the float. The needle valve is,thus, the means ordinarily employed to regulate the fuel level in thecarbureter and the check valve is provided,'by necessity, to preventinflow into the fuel supply chamber when suction is applied thereto. Theusual needle valve is a source of much trouble in that it sometimes doesnot seat accurately, and therefore leaks, and at other times sticks, andtherefore fails to open at the proper time. The regulation of fuel levelby the usual float controlled needle valve is thus not as positive andaccurate as could be desired. Moreover, two valves,the needle and thecheck valye,-are employed, both. separately performing individualfunctions.

This invention has for its object to provide, in combination with a fuelfeeding device and a carbureter, a single valve to control thecommunication between said device and carbureter and means operable froma float in the carbureter to control the opera tion of the valve,characterized in that the one valve acts as a check valve for the fuelfeeding device and controls the fuel level in the carbureter, as well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined fuel feedingdevice and carbureter; in which these two elements, generally usedseparately, are consolidated into a unitary structure, with theelimination of the usual'needle valve control of the carbureter and thesubstitution of improved means, which are operable from the carbureterfloat and arranged to combine with the check valve of the fuel feedingdevice, to the end that such check valve is made to perform its usualfunction and, in addition, the function of controlling the fuel level inthe carbureter.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionand from the illustrative embodiment of the invention in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

The figure is a sectional elevational view of a vacuum feed carbureterembodying the invention.

Referring to this drawing in detail; a fuel feeding device and acarbureter, (both of any suitable type and herein shown merely in aconventional and convenient illustrative form) are combined into a onepiece, unitary structure. tion of the two known elements involves acasing A having two separate chambers B and C, preferably arranged atdifferent levels, as shown. Chambers B and C will be later referred toas the fuel supply and the carbureter fuel chambers, respectively.Chamber B is provided with a suitable cover Z) which is so applied as torender the chamber substantially airtight, exceptfor certain passages tobe later described. Chamber C preferably also has a cover, as 0,although this is not absolutely essential, and if provided means, as anopening cl in the wall of chamber C, should be provided to insure thatthe latter will be subjected to atmospheric pressure.

The fuel supply chamber B is provided with a fuel inlet 7 adapted forconnectionto a low level supply tank; an air inlet 57, and

Such consolida- Means are provided so that the chamber B is alternatelysubjected to suction and atmospheric pressure and such means arecontrolled by the level of fuel in the chamber. Any suitable means maybe provided for this purpose and that chosen is merely by way ofillustrative example of one suitable means. As illustrated, a valve 2',supported by the free end of a pivoted arm j, is ar rangedto open orclose the suction connection h, and a valve is, operable from anextension 1 of valve 2', is arranged to open or close the air/inlet g.The arrangement is such that valve i-will open when valve 7:: closes andvice versa. In order to operate these valves, a float m is provided inchamber B and such float is plvotally connected to the free end of anarm n which in turn is pivoted co-axially with arm j. A spring 0connects the free ends of arms j'and n.

Thus, as float m falls, arm n will be gradually swung downwardly,fbutarm j will not be moved until the spring 0 is brought-below the pivotalaxis of the arms. At such time, arm j will be rapidly moved downwardlyto open valve 2' and allow valve to move to closed position. Upon arising movement of float m, arm n will be gradually moved, but arm ywill not be actuated until spring 0 has been brought above the pivotalaxis of the arms, at which time the arm j will be suddenl moved to openvalve k andclose valve 2'. Thus, chamber B is alternately subjected tosuction and atmospheric pressure for thefpurpos'e of drawlng fueltherein from the lowlevel tank and permitting such fuel to passtherefrom by gravity flow, all in a manner well understood by thoseskilled in the art.

The chamber C is the carbureter fuel chamber, the equivalent of theusual float chamber. Any suitable or desirable carbureterstructure maybe provided and the present illustration is merely conventional. Asillustrated, 10 represents (in cross section) the usual air intake pipeand g is a suitable nozzle or atomizing device, which is fed with fuelfrom chamber C by way of a short lateral passage 7'. i

I In order that fuel the supply chamber B may pass by gravity flow intochamber C, a passage 5 is provided in casing A, which passage affordscommunication between the lower portion of chamber B and the chamber C,preferably above the level of fuel 1n the latter. In order that thereshall be no return flow from chamber G to chamber B, a check valve 6 isprovided for the passage 5 andsuch valve opens outwardly (1n thedirection of fuel flow) and into the chamber C. The valve 6 performs theusual function with relation to the fuel feeding device and is made toperform an additional function,namely, the regulation of the fuel levelin chamber C,by'the following means. A float 7 is provided in chamber Cand the upper portion of such float is pivotally connected to the outerend of an arm 8 which is suitably pivoted at 9 to casing A and withinchamber C. Arm 8 has an upwardly directed extension 10, which, when thefuel in chamber C is at the desired predetermined level, engages valve 6and holds it in closed position to prevent further flow to chamber Assoon as the fuel in chamber C falls below the desired level, float 7falls also and thereby arm 10 is moved toward the right, allowing valve6 to open and the chamber G to be replenished with fuel.

Thus, I have provided in associated relation, a fuel feeding device andcarbureter,-

fined by the appended claims rather thanv by the foregoing description.What I claim is,-

ent levels and a passage affording communication between the lowerportion of the upper and .theupper portion of the lower chamber, a floatin the upper chamber, means controlled by said float to draw fuel in thelower chamber, a float in the latter, a

single clack valve controlling said passage h and opening into the lowerchamber, and means operable from the second float to close said valvewhen the fuel in the lower chamber reaches a predetermined level and torelease said valve when the fuel in the lower chamber fallsbelow suchlevel. I

' 2. A vacuum feed carbureter, comprising a fuel supply chamber, a floattherein, a valve controlled by the float operable to draw fuel into saidchamber, a second valve operable'by said first-named valve toalternately subject said chamber to suction and atmospheric pressure, acarbureter fuel chamber, an atomizing device connected therewith, apassage connecting the cham- 1. A vacuum'feed carbureter, comprising, -acasing provided with chambers at difl'erinto the upper chamber, anatomizing device here, a clack-valve normally closing said passage butadapted to be opened by the weight in the fuel supply chamber, a floatin the carbureter fuel chamber, and means operable by said last-namedfloat to positively close s'aid-last-named valve.

- 3. A vacuum carbureter, comprising a fuel supply chamber, a floattherein, means controlled by the float operable to draw fuel' into saidchamber, a carburetor chamber, an

to be opened bv the weight of the fuel in the 1 fuel supply chamber, afloat in the carbureter' fuel chamber, and a float operated bell-crankhaving a short arm bearing on said clack-valve and adapted to hold the Isame in closed position when the fuel in said carbureter fuel chamber isat the desired predetermined level.

4:. A vacuum carbureter, comprising a fuel supply chamber, a floattherein, meanscontrolled by the float operable to draw fuel into saidchamber, a carbureter chamber, an atomizing device connected therewith,a passage connecting the chambers, a valve normally closing said passagebut adapted to be opened by the weight of the fuel in the fuel supplychamber, a float in the carbureter fuel chamber, and a float operatedbell-crank having a short arm bearing on said Valve and adapted to holdthe same in closed position when the fuel in said carbureter fuelchamberis at the desired predetermined level.

PiERRE P. GILLES.

